Zainab Akhter

With a failing foreign policy and a crippling economy, and growing domestic opposition as well as criticism within the army, Imran Khan and his government is clearly caught between the devil and the deep sea.

• Published: October 17, 2019
• IDSA Comments

In general, the contemporary and historical narrative of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is mostly woven through the prism of Kashmir issue, disregarding comprehensive information about strategically important regions like Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In the study of India–Pakistan relations, most scholars and analysts tend to overlook GB, which explains the sparse literature on and information about the region.

• Published: October-December 2019
• Journal of Defence Studies

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan’s Policy on India, titled ‘Imran Khan Going Through Hard Times’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on October 06, 2019.

The Imran Khan government is walking on a tight rope both at the national and international fronts. If Pakistan decides to activate terrorist activities once again; Islamabad might land up in the FATF blacklist. On the other hand, if the current Pakistan government does not resolve the internal issues like price rise plaguing the country’s common masses, it might face the wrath of the common people and a united opposition soon, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 6 October, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Ladakh, titled ‘Union Territory status for Ladakh: Understanding the politics’ has been published in ‘Asia Dialogue’, an online magazine of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, on September 19, 2019.

The new Union Territory of Ladakh will need a unique approach so that it can manage its regional development while at the same time taking into account the sensitivities of its environment, customs and culture, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 19 September, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on India’s stand on Kashmir at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), titled ‘India’s Strong Rebuttal at the 42nd UNHRC Meeting’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on September 12, 2019.

While Pakistan is making noises at all the forums, India has been quietly working out a strategy to gain international support for its decision on Kashmir. It needs to up the ante and use this opportunity to make an attempt to push Pakistan in the blacklist before the next Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in October, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 12 September, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan, titled ‘Pakistan Cracking Down on Voices of Dissent’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on June 20, 2019.

Pakistan is in the midst of a political upheaval; as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government is tightening the noose over anti-government voices. From silencing the opposition by arresting their leaders, and cracking down on groups such as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), the Imran Khan led government is strategically silencing dissent, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 20 June, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on minorities in Pakistan, titled ‘Persecution of Minorities in Pakistan Continues’ was published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on May 29, 2019.

The Pakistani minorities are facing the wrath of the country’s discriminatory policy at the hands of the government as well as prejudice and victimization at the hand of people at large, especially the right-wing extremists, writes Dr Akhter.

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• Published: 29 May, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on the attack on famous Sufi shrine Data Darbar in Lahore, titled ‘The Data Darbar Suicide Attack’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on May 10, 2019.

The attack is a strong reminder to the Pakistan government that the extremist groups have the means to make a comeback and are yet not finished. At a time when Masood Azhar has been finally designated as a global terrorist, with Pakistan shutting down terror-related organizations in a bid not to graduate to the ‘blacklist’ of Financial Action Task Force (FATF); the attack on the Shrine should serve as a wakeup call to Islamabad that it urgently needs to put its house in order before it’s too late, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 10 May, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Lok Sabha elections in Ladakh, titled ‘Elections in Ladakh: Internal fault lines’ has been published in the opinion section of ‘Rising Kashmir’ on May 05, 2019.

In Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, Ladakh is the largest Lok Sabha constituency area wise and is divided into four broader constituencies, Leh, Nubra, Kargil and Zanskar. The politics in the region is complicated due to internal fault-lines and underneath simmering communal tension between Kargil and Leh, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 5 May, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr Zainab Akhter’s article on the Hazara community in Pakistan, titled ‘The Plight Of Hazaras In Pakistan’ was published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on April 17, 2019.

The article analyses the state of minorities in Pakistan, especially the targeted killing and systematic execution of the Hazaras. The increasing attacks on the Hazaras have raised questions about the nature of such crime against minorities in Pakistan. Some label the violence as a spill-over of the Sunni Shia sectarian violence, while others label it as a systematic targeting of the Hazara community.

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• Published: 17 April, 2019